Trump: No one should be fired because of sexual orientation
But leading Republican presidential candidate still opposes marriage equality
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump sounded a note that has set him apart from his fellow contenders for the GOP nomination.
In an interview with Chuck Todd of NBC’s Meet the Press, Trump said he was “fine” with affirmative action and deferred to the courts on whether private businesses can discriminate against LGBT workers.
“Should private companies be able to fire people because they’re gay?” asked Todd.
“Well, it’s a big discussion and I guess it’s getting a lot of negative rulings right now,” Trump said. “I’m willing to go with what the courts are saying.”
“And that is, you don’t think private companies should be able to do that?” asked Todd.
“I don’t think it should be a reason, no,” responded Trump.
Trump has previously stated his opposition to marriage equality, both in March when speaking with the Des Moines Register and in June during an interview with CNN. Trump has remained firm in his opposition to same-sex marriage, even telling the Register that gay couples should not be able to access the same civil benefits as married couples. When questioned by CNN’s Jake Tapper about potential hypocrisy in his opposition to marriage equality, given his he is on his third marriage, Trump simply said that a hypothetical gay or lesbian person would “have a very good point.”
In response to Tapper’s question of what he would say to such a hypothetical gay or lesbian person, Trump simply responded: “I really don’t say anything. I am just, Jake, I’m for traditional marriage.”
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